Support for saxophones and similar musical instruments



R. HYMAN 3,225,984

SUPPORT FOR SAXOPHONES AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Dec. 28, 1965 Filed July 6, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT OR. R YMo/v mam/v R. HYMAN 3,

SUPPORT FOR SAXOPHONES AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Dec. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6. 1964 a N m R. 0 0A W 8. 2 7% r w y 806 00A M W g f; M F 6 2 mmmfivf w fi a 4 Km W 4 We I A mm: X FLWWLE Z 6 Ii 2 6 0 W 54 HHA||IY V a m 6 a Z Z rd W g J z .I|..w|\\\\\ W @J a. @Mk ,8 w M. 4 0 a a 6 a 2 2 a United States Patent 3,225,984 SUPPORT FOR SAXOPHONES AND SIMILAR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Raymond Hyman, 1120 Centennial Road, Narberth, Pa. Filed July 6,1964, Ser. No. 380,380 10 Claims. (Cl. 224) This invention relates to a support for musical instruments, such as saxophones and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a support for a musical instrument comprised of a flat strap having an upper neck-engaging loop whose flights are continued to form a pair of lower loops, a slide mounted between said upper and lower loops and a hook carried by said lower loops for attachment to the musical instrument, the strap, slide and hook cooperating to produce an easily adjustable, nonraveling, sturdy support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a musical instrument of the character described in which the slide for adjusting the length of the strap comprises a pair of members pivoted to each other intermediate their ends, gripping teeth at one of their ends to engage the flights of the upper loop of the strap, and spring means normally urging the gripping teeth into engagement with the strap flights whereby by mere application of a compressive force with the fingers adjacent to the ends of the member-s opposite the gripping teeth, the slide member is released for repositioning on the strap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a musical instrument of the character described in which the instrument-engaging hook includes transversely extending convolutions which slidingly engage and space the lower strap loops from each other at all times thereby improving the slide action for adjusting the length and also preventing raveling of the strap while it is stored in the instrument carrying case. Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a musical instrument of the character described in which the strap is substantially flat and includes spaced transversely extending rib whereby the gripping action of the slide is improved and the possibility that the strap will ravel either in the carrying or stored position is virtually eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable, nonraveling, strap for a musical instrument which is simple to manufacture, assemble and repair yet is functional and relatively inexpensive.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present support for a musical instrument;

FIG. 2 is a group perspective view of the support minus the instrument hook;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hook per se;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of G a FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the closed or gripping position of the slide;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 and illustrating the open position of the slide;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the support showing a short adjusted position thereof; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing a long adjusted position thereof.

Specific reference is now made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

As seen particularly in FIGS. 7 and 8, the support is 3,225,984 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 generally indicated at 10 and consists of three cooperative elements namely, a strap 12, a slide adjuster 14 and an instrument-engaging hook 16.

The strap is preferably made of nylon, is substantially flat or in the form of a ribbon and includes longitudinally spaced, transversely extending ribs 18. The strap is bent to form an upper neck-engaging loop 20 whose vertical flights 22 are reversely or upwardly bent to form a pair of lower loops 24, the inner flights 26 of the lower loops extending upwardly and being secured adjacent their upper or free ends by appropriate means, such as a staple 28.

The slide adjuster comprises a pair of complementary housing members 30 and 32, each substantially U-shaped in cross-section. Thus, member 30 includes a pair of side flanges 34 and 36 joined by a web 38, a pair of transversely aligned holes 40 in the side flanges and a further end flange 42 extending horizontally from the upper edge of the web 38 between the side flanges and including spaced notches forming pointed gripping teeth 44. Similarly, member 32 contains side flanges 46 and 48 joined by a web 50, a pair of transversely aligned holes 52 in the side flanges and an upper horizontal flange 54 having gripping teeth 56.

It will be noted that one of the housing members 32 is wider than the other housing member 30 so that when assembled, the corresponding side flanges 34, 46 and 36, 48 overlap, but the end gripping flanges 42, 54 are in substantial horizontal alignment. The flights 22 of the strap extend side by side through the slide member between the overlapped side flanges and the gripping teeth 44, 56 of the end flanges, the housing members 30 and 32 being held together, pivotally, by a pin 58 which extends through the aligned holes 40, 52 and beneath the staple 28 between the inner surfaces of the inner flights 26 of the lower loops, the end of the pin 58 being headed as at 60. A spring 62 is provided, preferably in the form of a wire having a medial loop 64 and divergent legs 66. The loop 64 embraces the pin 58 adjacent one side edge of the strap flights 22 interiorly of the slide member, the legs 66 hearing on the webs 3S and 50 beneath the pin to normally spread the lower portions of the housing members 3t) and 32 beneath the pin 58 apart and thereby urging the gripping teeth 44 and 46 together and into engagement with the strap flights 22.

It will be seen that the housing members 30 and 32 when assembled are open at their lower ends 68 and the outer and inner flights 22 and 26 extend therethrough. The hook 16 is preferably in the form of a rod having an open hook element 70 in a common plane, the upper end 72 thereof being bent to form spaced convolutions 74 and 76 which consist of upper transverse spaced, substantially parallel rods 78 and 80 that extend across the strap and slidably engage the inner surfaces of and separate the lower loops 24. The rods 78 and 80 lie in planes substantially perpendicular to that of the hook element 70. The ends of the convolutions are continuously rounded and joined by a common lower rod member 82.

In assembly, the flights 22 are extended side by side between the housing members 30 and 32 after the ends have been secured by the staple 28 to form the lower loops 24. Holding the housing members in assembly, the pin 58 is extended through the set of aligned holes 40 and 52 of the side flanges 34 and 46 and beneath the stapled ends of the lower loops 24. Before the free end of the pin 58 is made to extend through the other aligned holes 4% and 52 of the side flanges 36 and 48, the coil 64 of the spring 62 is positioned on the shank of the pin and then the free end of the pin is headed or peened.

In use, when the musical instrument is made to engage the hook 16 and the upper loop 21 is positioned around the neck of the person, the length of the strap is adjusted by pressing the lower ends of the housing members 30 and 32 together against action of the spring 62 to release the hold of the gripping teeth 44 and 56 on the flights 22, and moving the slide member 14 up or down as desired. To shorten the strap, the slide is moved up, as seen in FIG. 7, which acts to shorten the upper loop 20 and lengthen the lower loops 24 by moving the pin 58 towards the upper loop or neck of the person. Conversely, to lengthen the strap, the slide is moved down, as seen in FIG. 8, so that the upper loop 20 is lengthened, the lower loops 24 shortened and the pin 58 moved away from the neck of the person. Because the strap is flat or ribbon-like and the hook is provided with spaced convolutions, the slide adjusting action is smooth and the possibility that the strap will ravel in the carrying or stored position is virtually eliminated.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has here been shown and described, a skilled artisan may make minor variations without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. A support for a musical instrument comprising an elongated substantially flat, generally vertical strap, having a single loop at its upper end opening downwardly and adapted to embrace a persons neck and a pair of loops at its lower end opening upwardly, a hook member slidably engaging and separating said pair of lower loops and adapted for removable attachment to a musical instrument and a means to adjustably lengthen and shorten said single upper loop relative to said pair of lower loops, said means to adjustably lengthen or shorten said loops including a pair of housing members encompassing said strap intermediate its ends, a horizontal pin pivotally joining said housing members and engaging said strap between said pair of lower loops, gripping means at one end of said housing members to engage said strap, and spring means acting on said housing members to normally urge said gripping means into engagement with said strap.

2. A support for a musical instrument comprising an elongated substantially flat generally vertical strap having a single loop at its upper end opening downwardly and adapted to embrace a persons neck and a pair of loops at its lower end opening upwardly, a hook member slidably engaging and separating said pair of lower loops and adapted for removable attachment to a musical instrument and a means to adjustably lengthen and shorten said single upper loop relative to said pair of lower loops, said hook member being a rod bent to form convolutions including spaced members engaging the inner surfaces of and extending across said pair of lower loops, said means to adjustably lengthen or shorten said loops including a pair of housing members encompassing said strap intermediate its ends, a horizontal pin pivotally joining said housing members and engaging said strap between said pair of lower loops, gripping means at one end of said housing members to engage said strap, and spring means acting on said housing members to normally urge said gripping means into engagement with said strap.

3. A support for a musical instrument comprising an elongated substantially flat generally vertical strap having a pair of outer and inner flights thereby forming an upper downwardly opening loop between said outer flights adapted to engage a persons neck and a pair of lower upwardly opening loops each between an inner and outer flight, hook means engaging the inner surfaces of said pair of lower loops and adapted for attachment to a musical instrument, and a means to adjustably lengthen and shorten said upper loop relative to said pair of lower loops, said last-named means including a pair of vertically extending complementary housing members, said outer flights extending side by side between said housing members, a horizontal pin pivotally joining said housing members intermediate their ends, said pin extending between said inner flights and engaging said strap, strapgripping means at one end of said housing members, and spring means acting .to urge said gripping means into engagement with said outer flights of said strap.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said gripping means includes opposed, toothed, horizontal flanges at one corresponding end of said housing members extending towards said outer flights of said strap.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said strap includes vertically spaced, transversely extending ribs cooperative with said toothed flanges to enhance the gripping action.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein the end of said housing members opposite said toothed flanges is open and through it extends the inner and outer flights forming the lower loops, said hook means including spaced rods extending slidably across the inner surfaces of said lower loops and serving to keep them separated.

7. The combination of claim 3 wherein said housing members are substantially U-shaped in cross-section having web portions disposed exteriorly of said outer flights and overlapped vertical side flanges through which said horizontal pin extends.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said gripping means includes a horizontal toothed flange at the upper end of each housing member extending toward an outer flight.

The combination of claim 8 wherein the lower end of said assembled housing members is open and through it extends the inner and outer flights forming the lower loops, said spring means including a resilient member coiled around said horizontal pin and including divergent legs bearing against the webs of said housing members beneath said horizontal pin acting to spread said open lower end of said housing members while urging said toothed flanges towards each other and against said outer flights of said strap.

10. A support for a musical instrument comprising an elongated substantially flat, generally vertical strap, having a single loop at its upper endppening downwardly and adapted to embrace a persons neck and a pair of front and rear loops at its lower end opening upwardly, a hook member slidably engaging and separating said pair of lower loops and adapted for removable attachment to a musical instrument and a means to adjustably lengthen and shorten said single upper loop relative to said pair of lower loops, said hook member being a rod bent to form a hook element in a common vertical plane disposed beneath and adjacent said front lower loop and convolutions forming elongated eyes extending in vertical planes substantially perpendicular to that of said hook element and receiving said front and rear lower loops, said eyes including substantially parallel upper members spaced from front to rear extending transversely across and engaging the inner surfaces of said front and rear lower loops.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,384,666 7/1921 Lamont 24-191 1,789,184 1/1931 Lang 224-5.19 1,891,947 12/1932 Powell 2245.19 2,356,209 8/ 1944 'Brilhart 224-519 GERALD M. FO'RLENZA, Primary Examiner. HUGQ Q, SCHULZ, Examiner, 

1. A SUPPORT FOR A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT, GENERALLY VERTICAL STRAP, HAVING A SINGLE LOOP AT ITS UPPER END OPENING DOWNWARDLY AND ADAPTED TO EMBRACE A PERSON''S NECK AND A PAIR OF LOOPS AT ITS LOWER END OPENING UPWARDLY, A HOOK MEMBER SLIDABLY ENGAGING AND SEPARATING SAID PAIR OF LOWER LOOPS AND ADAPTED FOR REMOVABLE ATTACHMENT TO A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT AND A MEANS TO ADJUSTABLY LENGTHEN AND SHORTEN SAID SINGLE UPPER LOOP RELATIVE TO SAID PAIR OF LOWER LOOPS, SAID MEANS TO ADJUSTABLY LENGTHEN OR SHORTEN SAID LOOPS INCLUDING A PAIR OF HOUSING MEMBERS ENCOMPASSING SAID 